Speed responsive governor having its output member composed of a dry lubricating substance



latented May 18, 1954 UNITED STATS FFlCE SPEED RESPONSIVE GOVERNOR HAVING ITS OUTPUT MEMBER COMPOSED OF A DRY LUBRICATING SUBSTANCE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to governors of the mechanical-centrifugal type and to an improvement in the same suitable for use in governing the speed of small internal combustion engines and other machines having a throttle, and it resides more specifically in a governor in which a spring loaded governor follower is carried in a detachable mounting-cover enclosing a centrifugal assembly the mounting-cover being readily removable without disturbing the adjustment of the follower or the centrifugal assembly, and in which the centrifugal force prevailing in the centrifugal assembly is translated into axial thrust which is communicated to the follower by a dry lubricated transmitting member which may be readily inspected, removed and replaced when the mounting-cover is detached.

In some compact governors capable of exerting sufficient force to reliably actuate the throttle of a small internal combustion engine it has heretofore been difficult to provide means which would effectively translate centrifugal force exerted by the governor into sufiicient thrust to be effective to regulate the throttle opening without resort to expensive constructions. Furthermore, such governors heretofore available have been constructed in such fashion that ready inspection, adjustment and repair of the same has not been possible since the housings provided therefore may only be opened for repair purposes with an accompanying upsetting of the arrangement and adjustment of parts.

It is one object of this invention to provide an improved governor of the class heretofore referred to wherein centrifugal force is translated into axial thrust and communicated along the axis of the governor shaft by a member composed of a dry-lubricating solid, which by reason of its inherent lubricating properties moves with little friction with reference to the axial guides which restrain it, with respect to the centrifugal members which act upon it and with respect to the governor follower in contact therewith.

Another object of this invention is to provide a governor wherein the wear occurring therein is slight and is confined chiefly to a single unitary motion transmitting member composed of a drylubricating solid which can be rendered accessible without disturbance of governor adjustment for ready removal and replacement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a governor of the class described wherein axial thrust communicated from the'rotating centrifugal assembly is imparted to a nonrotating follower having a plain, smooth face engaged by the contacting rotating end of a motion transmitting member the latter being composed of a dry-lubricating solid.

The foregoirr and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the description following which is set forth with the aid of the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof, and in which there is described and shown by way of illustration and not of limitation one form in which the governor of this invention may be embodied.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side view in elevation and in section of one form of the governor of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detailed side view in section of the centrifugal assembly and follower of the governor shown in Fig. 1 with the parts occupying a position corresponding with the condition prevailing under rapid rotation;

Fig. 3 is a side view in elevation of the exterior of the governor shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. i is a detailed fragmentary view in perspective of the centrifugal assembly and follower of the governor shown in Fig. 1.

The governor of this invention, in the form appearing in the drawing, may be constructed to be mounted upon a portion of a machine to be governored, indicated by the numeral l, which portion furnishes support for bearings 2, 3 and 4 acting to mount a governor shaft 5 for rotation. A gear or other driving means 6 mounted upon the shaft 5 may be associated in driven relation with a rotating part of the machine to be governed not shown. The upper portion of the governor shaft 5 is enlarged to provide a hub I which furnishes a seat for a U shaped pivot bracket 8 surrounding the same and held securely in place by the riveted edge of a shoulder projecting upwardly from the hub l as indicated at 9.

The shaft 5 extends upwardly from the hub l to form a tubular extension l9 which is intersected by a transverse opening providing a pair of access channels H and i2 at the sides thereof. Pivotally carried on pivots l3 and i4, mounted in the pivot bracket 8, is a pair of centrifugal members l5 and IE, provided respectively with actuating toes i7 and is which enter the access channels H and I2 and terminate short of the axis of the shaft 5.

Mounted for free sliding axial movement within the bore of the tubular extension ii! is a motion transmitting member l9 composed of a solid material having dry-lubricating properties. For this purpose a carbonaceous body having a subrials such as molybdenum sulphide and the like.

bearing 4 andheld securely.

Surrounding the in place by a fastening 20 is a housing plate 2! 7 having an upwardly facing circular groove near the outer rim thereof. Seated within the circular groove above mentioned in close fitting -engage--- ment therewith is the lower notched rimof a mounting-cover 22 which is indented as at 23 to provide a pivotal mounting for a follower shaft 24 upon which a follower 25 is carried as shown. The. lower face of the follower 25 is plane and smooth. and rests in contact with the roundedmotion transmitting member upper end of the I9. .-Shaft 24 extends to the exterior of mounting-cover 22 where it is secured to a governor lever 26 as appears more clearly in Fig. 3.

The lower end of governor lever 25 is drilled to receive the offset end of a throttle rod 2'! which may cooperatively engage the throttle of the machine. to be governed. A governor loading spring 28 is attached through a similar disposed close to the follower shaft 24, the opposite end of the same being secured to a speed controlling arm 29 pivotally carried at 36 and provided with a notched adjusting quadrant 3i which engages an arresting spring 32 secured to the. housing plate 2| as shown.

Upon rotation of shaft 5 the centrifugal members I5-l6 are urged outwardly-by centrifugal force'toward the position shown in Fig. 2 and in so doing the toes I 7-!8 bear against the motion transmitting member wardly against the follower 25. Motion is thus communicated to the governor lever 26 which. in turn-acts upon the throttle through the rod 2.?

so as to diminish fuel supplied to the machine being governed.

drilled opening l9 urging the same up-.

In the course of such motion friction between:;.

the. toes l1-l S and her [9. -Frictional resistanceto of themember H! as it slides in member 69 is minimizediby the inherent lubricating properties of the mem-.

axial movement the bore of the;

tubular extension to is likewise similarlyx-re-i.

stricted;.-At the same time, the upper. contact-i freelyin cone: the follower 25 with little friction and by reason of the inherent lubricating a result theacing endof the member 19 turns tact-with little wear properties of the member it. As

tion'of the governor remains sensitive in pro-ti portion to the power available.

. so The rateof wear of the upperend of the member I 9 under the conditions of. operation de-.

scribed-is moderate not only due to the notably long wearing properties of dry-lubricating mate rials-but also because of the rounded-configuras tion of the upper end of the member i9 WhiChl engages the smooth surface of the follower. 25 with substantially a point contact which;

aligned with the Motion at this point contact is therefor; at a axis of rotation of member 19. 1:.

come impaired due to Wear of the member I9, the spring clips 3334 may be quickly removed to release the mounting-cover 22 after first disconnecting spring 28 and throttle rod 21. The entire centrifugal assembly may thus be exposed and the worn member i9 may be quickly re-- moved and replaced by a similar member in proper condition for resumption of normal functioning of the governor. If desired the space enclosed by the mounting-cover 22 may also serve to house other auxiliaries of the apparatus to be governed which may. require easy and rapid exposure to inspectionsince removal and replacement of mounting-cover 22 can be elfected without derangement of the governor adjustment.

I claim 1. In a governor for a rotating machine having a shiftable power admission throttle the combinationcomprising a rotatably mounted governor shaft having a free end and a driven end including. means for connecting said shaft to amachine. to be governed to be rotatably driventhereby, axial. guiding means concentric with thee.

axisof rotation of said shaft disposed at the;

free end of saidshaft, an axially movable motion transmitting member composed of a dry-lubricatingsolid slidably mounted for axial movement in said axial guiding means and having a end extending beyond the. and an inwardly disposed thrust communicating freeend of said shaft thrust receiving. end,v centrifugal means carried. on and rotatably driven .by said shaft including force. translating means cooperativelyengaging.

the dry lubricating ceiving end of said.

substanceof the thrust re-..- motion transmitting member... to exertan outward axial thrustthereon .in re-.

sponse to centrifugal force exerted by said..cen-..

opposing axial motion of the thrust communicating end thereof, and throttle linkage means cooperatively engaging said follower member for smooth planefoilower face.

cooperatively. connecting the same to the. throttle of said machine to be governed.

2. In a governor for a rotating machine hav inga shiftable power admission throttle the comblllaBIOn comprising a rotatably mounted .gov-

ernor shaft'having *a free 'end' and a driven end including means for connecting said. shaft to a. machine to be governed toberotatably driven.

thereby,- an axial guide channel concentric with the axis ally movable motion transmitting member com-" posed of 'a dry-lubricating carbon'contaim'ng' solid slidably mounted for axial movement in said-axial guide thrust communicating end extending free beyond the of rotation of Said'shaft extending inwardly from the free end of saidshaft, an axi channel and having a rounded".

end of said shaft and an inwardlydisposed' thrust receivingend; centrifugal. means carried on and rotatably drivenby'said shaft including: force translating means cooperatively engaging" the drylubricating substance of the thrust "re ceiving'end of said motion transmitting mem-- her to exert an-outward axial 'thrustthereon in response to centrifugal force exerted by said cen:

trifugal'means, a spring loaded movablefollower member having a smooth plane follower. face:

transversely disposed withirespectto saidsaxially movable .motion. transmitting member. contact-.

ing the dryilubricatingsubstance sthereofi; and.

opposingsaxial-motion of the thrust-commune.

eating end thereof, and throttle linkage means cooperatively engaging said follower member for cooperatively connecting the same to the throttle of said machine to be governed.

3, In a governor for a rotating machine hav ing a shift-able power admission throttle the combination comprising a rotatably mounted governor shaft having a free end and a driven end including means for connecting said shaft to a machine to be governed to be rotatably driven thereby, axial guiding means concentric with the axis of rotation of said shaft disposed at the free end of said shaft, an axially movable motion transmitting member slidably mounted for axial movement on said axial guiding means and hav ing a thrust communicating end composed of dry lubricating substance extending beyond the free end of said shaft and an inwardly disposed thrust receiving end, centrifugal means carried on and rotatably driven by said shaft including force translating means cooperatively engaging the thrust receiving end of said motion transmitting member to exert an axial thrust thereon in response to centrifugal force exerted by said centrifugal means, a spring loaded pivoted follower member having a smooth plane follower face, a

housing for said governer comprising a fixed base portion surrounding said shaft, and a removable housing cover extending over the end of said shaft, said movable follower member being pivotally mount smooth flat face ed on said cover to present the thereof in transverse contacting relation to the thrust communicating end of said thrust transmitting member when said housing cover is in place, and throttle linkage means cooperatively engaging said follower member for cooperatively connecting the same to the throttle of said machine to be governed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

